Eric Hui, a graduate of the Northeastern University, launched Terracea in 2016, an apparel company focused on outerwear that can be worn in the office and outdoors. He was inspired by his own story when he didn’t find the right jacket to wear during winters after shifting from his native place Hawaii.
At the university, Hui majored in supply chain management. He says the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program helped prepare him for running his own business. He learned about balancing a budget, international shipping, customs duties, and warehousing.
He emphasises that expensive, high-end jackets made for intense outdoor excursions tend to be waterproof and warm, but not practical for daily wear. Low-end, casual winter jackets, on the other hand, are not sufficiently waterproof to survive a weekend of skiing. He is making everyday lifestyle apparel that is technical enough to be worn for snow sports. Hui found the solution to make a strong yet comfortable jacket is by combining two sets of requirements. One, his jackets must be waterproofed with fully taped seams, windproof, and insulated. This makes staying warm and dry easy. Two, focusing on breathability, stretch, and quietness.
Hui points out that a lot of apparel companies don’t put any thought into the noise that is made by jackets. He hated the loud noise the Velcro fasteners on his jacket made in the office when he was working with a company. So when he created his own fashion line Terracea, he decided to incorporate magnets to keep the jackets quiet.
His motto is “A great jacket should be able to travel with you, wherever you go.”
Radhika Boruah